Until I Met You
by Dorku No Renkinjutsushi
Summary: And then I went and met you. KakaIru


**Title:** Until I Met You  
**Author:** creepycrawly  
**Rating:**PG-13  
**Summary/Warning:**ummm...none?  
**Song:** Until I Met You, MEST

* * *

"Ok, everyone needs to translate the scroll they found today by…mmm…Monday morning," Iruka said decisively.

The class groaned good-naturedly, some of them muttering about uppity chuunin. They all did it with a smile, however, and Iruka smiled right back.

"Really, now," he chuckled. "You lot are starting to sound like Academy students."

The class laughed at that. Genma, sitting in front, shifted the senbon to the corner of his mouth as he watched his lover's little brother. "Umino, you are a _slave driver_. Why must you be so cruel?"

Iruka snorted and looked up from his papers. "First of all, Shiranui-_kun_," he teased, "it's _Sensei_. Secondly, I save my kindness for people who actually earn it."

"And they earn it by being longer than five inches, no doubt," one of the jounin snorted to his friend.

Without even looking up, Iruka responded. "Longer than _seven_, Ibiki. I'm a demanding son of a bitch."

The entire room began to howl with laughter. Iruka may have been a good deal younger than most of them, but he still managed to throw them for a loop occasionally. The jounin and chuunin in his advanced class enjoyed the chance to screw around at the end of long days, and Iruka was always a sympathetic listener. That and he knew absolutely everybody in Konoha. With proper bribing, he would set absolutely anybody up. Or prank them, depending on what someone wanted.

Raidou hung back a few seconds after class ended, waiting for Iruka to finish grading a paper. Once the teen was done, he put it away and smiled up at his adoptive older brother.

"Yeah?"

"Can you tell Mum that I'm off on a mission?" he asked. "Genma's with me, too. And tell her not to worry, I'm with _the_ Sharingan Kakashi."

Iruka blinked. "And why are _you and Genma_ being sent with _him_?"

Raidou levelled a glare at him. "Because, _Pipsqueak-san_, he's on a trip to Wave. I'm the only one who speaks enough Wave to be useful, barring you. And you're still only a cute widdle chuunin. Considering what we hope to find, you're completely useless." He grinned broadly as he dodged Iruka's grumpy swat.

"Seriously, though, Gen and Kakashi are playing as a gay couple out for a tour, and I'm tour guide." Raidou frowned as he spoke.

"Genma and Hatake?" Iruka asked, raising an eyebrow. "That's just…" he thought for a moment. "Ok, actually, that's kinda hot. Can I watch?"

"NO!" Raidou growled. "Jeez, brat."

"Did you just ask _Raidou_ if he would let you watch _me_ have sex with _Hatake Kakashi_!" Genma demanded.

Iruka nodded, giggling slightly.

"That's just sick, Iruka-kun," he muttered, shivering slightly. "_I_ don't even want to think about having sex with Hatake, and I'm the sex fiend!"

Iruka was, by this point, laughing hysterically. Genma looked rather mind-scarred at the very thought of having sex with Hatake Kakashi, and even more so at the thought of Iruka actually _watching_. Raidou just looked like he wanted to throw up. Or kill Iruka. Whichever was easier.

Iruka's laughter slowed and died, though he kept looking between the two older boys and dissolving into further fits of the giggles. After a few gasping breaths, he grinned brightly at them.

"Don't worry, I'll tell her," he snorted. He stood up, gathering his papers as he went. "You're leaving tonight?"

"Uh huh," Raidou nodded. "We'll be gone for approximately a week, give or take." He smiled down at Iruka, ruffling the shorter boy's hair. Iruka scowled, then impulsively hugged him.

"Whoa, what's wrong, kid?" Raidou asked, looking down at him concernedly.

"Don't die," Iruka sniffled. "Don't let your stupid ass get hurt."

"I won't," Raidou whispered comfortingly.

"And I won't let him," Genma murmured. "I don't want him getting hurt anymore than you do, Iruka." He pulled both his lover and the teen into a tight hug.

"I won't let them get hurt," a quiet voice said from the doorway.

Genma let go of Iruka and Raidou, and they all turned to look at the boy in the doorway. He was tall, and his spiky silver hair only helped make him look taller. One bright blue eye was visible, the other hidden beneath his drooping hitai-ate. A dark blue mask clung to the lower half of his face, completely disguising his reactions.

"I won't let them get hurt," he repeated. "Don't worry, Umino-san."

Iruka nodded, wide-eyed. "Y-yes, of course not." Suddenly he smiled. "Don't allow yourself to get hurt, either, Hatake-san!" he chirped brightly.

The boy cocked his head, looking at Iruka oddly. "Why do you say that?"

Iruka's smile faltered. "Well…I just thought…you maybe needed to be reminded that we worry about you, too!"

"Nobody's worried about me in years," the boy snorted. "They don't have to. No need."

Iruka raised an eyebrow. "Surely someone's worried about you," he said firmly. "Your jounin-sensei or your field commander."

"They're dead."

"Oh…well, your team-mates certainly worry!" Iruka tried.

"I usually work solo missions."

"Oh…dammit, just don't get hurt!" Iruka snarled.

The other boy blinked. "I won't." the fabric of his mask stretched and tightened slightly. "If only for you."

Iruka smiled slightly, and then left quickly.

Several nights later, Iruka sat up in bed, sweating and panting. He stared at the moon, trying to calm himself down. It didn't work, and he grabbed a small bear that was buried beneath the pillows. He cried into the bear's worn out fur, tears soaking into the pale blue fabric in a way they hadn't done in ages.

"Be safe," Iruka sniffled. "God, Hatake-san. I thought I'd make a great ninja, not caring and everything. I never woke up like this 'cause of Raidou or Genma or Kai or Tenda or Abilem or Mizuki. And then I went and met you!"


End file.
